Glass-feeding mechanism



Feb. 3, 1931. E. s. GRI-:ER

GLASS FEEDING MEGHANISM Filed March 5, 1927 ill shown).

Patented Fels. 3,1931

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.`

EVERETTS. GREEK, OF ZANESVILLE, OHIO,

ASSIGNOR TO HAZES-ATLAS GLASS CO., OF

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA GLASS-FEEDING 'MECHANISM AApplikation mea March a, 1921. serial No. 172,352.

will be apparent to those skilled the art,

from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings; in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the feeder, mounted in a conventional iow spout; and

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the feeder and flow spout.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, numeral 1 indicates the conventional flow spout which extends from the glass tank in the usual manner; the flow spout being provided with the ordinary flow orilice 2, and also provided with the ordinary burners (not In accordance with the usual practice the flow orifice is provided with a variable size .bushing 3,' through which the glass 1s de llvered to forming machines for lthe fabrication of glass articles of various forms, weights and sizes. It has been the common practice in the glass art for many years to control the shape, weight and size of these glass charges in accordance with the shape, weight and size of the articles to 'be fabricated; but the present invention involves animproved mechanism for more accurately controlling the above-mentioned characteristics of the glass charges. While it is old, as mentioned above, to employ bushmgs 1n the iow spout, I have discovered `that by employing a bushing whichcprojects upwardly above the floor of the ow spout, and vertically adjusting lthe bushing so as to alter the upper end 4 of thebushing with respect to the glass level, that it becomes posslble'to regulate and control to a very ne degree, the shape, weight and size of the glass charges; thereby providing a more sensitive been possible heretofore.

It will be understood, of course, that the invention contemplates the use of any appropriate means for adjusting the bushing to secure the desired head of glass gand therefore, the particular means now to be described willrbe considered merely as illustrative.

A lever 5 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, as indicated by numeral 6, and

control of these characteristics than has one end of this lever is provided with .a .y

Aforlr 7 the tines of the fork having open ended slots 7 These slots receive trunnions 8 provided on the split ring 8 which, is clamped in the channel 8adja`cent the lower end of the bushing 3. The o posite end ofy Ithe lever 5 is provided with a ole 9 adapted to receive a threaded rod 10, which in the present instance is fixed to the iow spout casing; it being understood that the diaml 'eter of the hole is somewhat larger than that ofthe threaded rod, to permit the pivotal movement of the lever. Adjusting nuts 11, 11, are mounted on the threaded rod above and below the end of the lever 5, thereby providing a very fine vertical adjustment of the bushing 3..

vBy varying the vertical position of the i bushing, thereby varying the head of glass, I am able to obtain a more sensitive control of the shape,l size and lweight of thel lass charges, than has been possible hereto ore; and this constitutes one of the material features of the invention.

It has long been the practice inthe glass art to vertically reciprocate an element in the glass, in vertical alignment with the flow orice, to control the flow of glass through the orifice; and one of the material features of the present invention resides in the improvement of the reciprocable element, which will now be described.

Instead' of employing the usual needle or plug, I employ a bell-shaped reciprocable member 12, which is of greater internal diameter than the bushingB, so that it will embrace the bushingbut be spaced therefrom.

member is provided with a passage 13 which 100 er control of the glass. And by reason of the interior of the'hollow .reciprocable member having communication with the atmosphere, the pressure within the member remains constant during the reciprocation of the member.

Any well known or other mechanical expedients may be employed for reciprocating the hollow memberand for adjusting the length or limits of the strokes; and the particular means that I have shown, and which will be briefly described hereinafter, `will be considered merely as an example of any equivalent means that may be employed.

A bracket 14 embraces the upper end of the hollow reciprocable member 12, and is preferably seated in a circumferential channel 15, while the opposite end of the bracket is removably fixed to the upper end of a pis- Vton4 rod 16; 4This piston rod carries the usual piston 17 mounted in a fluid pressure cylinder 18 which, in the present instance, is mounted directly' on, the `iow spout casing. The piston and rod, and consequently the hollow feeder member, are reciprocated .by the alternate admission of air or other fluid pressure to opposite ends of the cylinder through the usualpipes 19, 19'; the admission and exhaust of the air or other luid pressure being controlled by the usual valves and timing mechanism (not shown). A simple Ameans for controlling the length and limits ofthe strokes of-the feeder member is provided by the rod 20 which is carried by the piston and extends downwardly through the lower end of the cylinder. The rod 20 extends loosely through an appropriate opening provided in a bracket 21 ixed to the ilow spout casing, and nuts 22, 22'-, are threaded onto the -rod above and below the bracket, to adjustably dete'mine the upper and lower limits of stro e.

In operation, the hollow feeder member 12 is-reciprocated to alternately 'accelerate and retard the flow of glass through the bushing 3, to thereby form suspended gobs or charges, l

in the same manner as in the well known reciprocating plug feeder, but this hollow feeder member has a much better control ofthe glass for the reason that its area in contact with the glass greatly exceeds that of the ordinary reciprocating plug. j Variations in the size, shape and weight of the suspended charges are accomplished, in part, by varying vthe limits of stroke or the length of stroke,

etc., of the feeder'lnember, as in the case of the ordinary reciprocating plug; and the formedv also because of the bushing 3, which extends up into the glass, and b the vertical adjustment of which the hea of glass may be varied as desired, thereby providing a hitherto unknown refinement in the control of the size, shape and weight of formed suspended glass char es. Q atIclaimasnewis:

'1. A glass feeder including'a flow spout having a flow orifice, and a bushing adjustable to vary the head of lass.

2. A glass feeder incuding a flow s out having a flow orifice an ad'ustable bus ing arranged in said orifice, an means for con trolling the head of glass above said bushing by adustment of the bushing. j

3. glass feeder including a flow spout having a flow orifice, and a bushing arranged in sai orifice, said bushing varying the head of glass by vertical adjustment.

4. A glass feeder including a flow spout. having a. ow orifice, a bushingarranged in said orifice, said bushin bein verticallyadjustable to control the size, weight and shape of suspended glass char es.

5. A' glass feeder inc uding a iiow spout having a flow orifice, and a bushing arranged in said orifice, said bushin being vertically adjustable to v the hem? of glass.

6. A glass fee er including a flow spout having a flow orifice,a bushing arranged in los said orifice and extending above the floor of the flow spout, and a reciprocable feeder member, said feeder member being hollow and of such internal diameter as to embrace said bushing, the interior of said feeder member being always at atmospheric pressure.

7. A glass feeder including a ow spout' having a How orifice, a hollow reciprocable feeder member arranged in the flo-wspout above said orifice, means for reciprocatin thel i hollow feeder member, and a bushing adjustable to vary the head of glass.

8. A glass feeder including a, low spout having a iiow orifice, a bushing arranged in said orifice, a hollow feeder member arranged in the ow spout above said orifice,

,means for reciprocatingthe hollow feeder `member, and means for vertically adjusting said bushing. v

9. A glass feeder includina flow spout having a flow orifice, a bus ing arranged within said orifice, a hollow reciprocable feeder member of such internal diameter as to embrace the bushing, said bushing being adjustable to vary the head of glass.

10. A glass feeder including a flow spout having a low orifice, a bushing arranged in said orifice, an implement within the glass and above the orifice for controlling the low of glass. and means for verticali adjusting said bushing to vary the head of gi'ass. v

1l. A glass feeder including a flow spout having a How oriiice, saidorice, a vertically reciprocating lmplement Within the glass and above the orice for controlling the flow of glass, and means for vertically adjusting said bushing to vary the head of glass.

12. A glass feeder including a flow spout having a flow orifice, a bushing arranged in said orice, means for periodlcallyincreasing and decreasing the pressure on the glass` over the bushing, and means for vertically adjusting the bushing to vary the head of glass. .i

EVERETT S. GREER.

a bushing arranged in' 

